No social security increase for 2010 and 2011.

Is it on a monthly basis? Most programs that I have called are so overwhelmed. You only get assistance if you are about to be shut off and they only
pay the past due.
Why can't electricity simply become more affordable so we don't have to rely on these programs?

I can only speak for Texas as that is all I have had to deal with for a relative.

Most providers here allow a minimum10% discount immediately if need is shown, more if partnered with the State (in Texas examples are El Paso Energy,
ENTERGY….) each State has lists. Deferrals are also immediately available if payments need to be spread over three months for just about any reason
(job loss, medical bills, disability…). My aunt qualified for 20% discount immediately and a retroactive refund from the date of disability up to 3
months prior.

The next is CEAP, Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program. From here different options also become available such as: Assistance in weatherizing you
home, appliances, light bulb vouchers (energy efficient), co-payment of utilities etc. etc.

Then there is LIHEAP, Low Income Energy Programs…the list is long.

The problem I found with the programs is that programs are hidden within programs within even more programs and if you don’t look and ask, no one
will advise you or tell you. When you do, it’s just paperwork after that.

But to answer your question, most of these programs go annually and paid monthly so when one qualifies, a change of status only has to be reported
once a year. So if one is out of work now and meets the criteria for instance many programs are designed to get the household ‘back on its’
feet’ and last at least a year. Disable, poverty level….it continues and so forth…

Have your account(s) handy and explain to them the issues as well, you must be able to say honestly you have spoken to your provider with names of the
persons you have spoken with. The Rep’s and Senator’s offices WILL check.

You will get personalized service and results with lots of follow-up. Also, let both offices know you are in contact with each of them and need help.
My advise here is: Be pushy with the agencies, providers and subsidized organizations; but very polite to the political offices, they work for you
and you’ll get to see that quickly.

Funny how the news said they got the information about no ss increase yet I call social security and they have no clue. How can the news break a story
that is not conculsive yet. Did social security already decide this before letting the public know? How can the news know before social security
itself. I am so confused?

There is a fundamental problem with the country when you have humans at companies like GoldmanSacs making millions in just bonuses and other members
of society scraping the floor for crumbs.

As for the OP, my suggestion is to get an easy job that is off the books, like busing tables at a small local restaurant. The income you make will be
in cash and won't affect your SSDI since it won't be reported.

"If I wanted to, I could hire 10,000 people to do nothing but paint my picture every day for the rest of my life. And the GNP would go up. But the
utility of the product would be zilch, and I would be keeping those 10,000 people from doing AIDS research, or teaching, or nursing."

Yes that's true Mr. Buffett, but what if, just what if you paid people's student loans directly from sallie mae? Don't give the money to the
human's, just go to Sallie Mae and pay off student loans?

Of course a rich person would never do that, unless maybe there was a huge tax write off in return. For in this society the people that have resources
will always say "What's in it for me" and the people who need resources will always ask "Why not us?".

I just hope that this isn't true. The little money that people on SS and disablity live on is not very much. We are capped as far as making extra
income. I can only make $950 in outside income. Yet if I were to make $950 it would not be worth $950.
I would lose all my food stamps of $170
I would pay $100 for Medicare
$30 for my prescription plan
I would have a $300 medicaid spendonw
That is $600 less
so my $950 only equals $350 when it is all said and done.
I would still make a little over $1,000.

To me this makes no sense. Why would the cost of living adjustment not be based on the actual cost of living? I was told it is based on consumer
spending and people who are working.
The last part makes sense because SS comes from the workers but consumer spending makes no sense.
Do you ever feel ythe government has no commen sense or do they just not care? I think I know the answer but I hate admittiing it.

I was told it is based on consumer spending and people who are working. The last part makes sense because SS comes from the workers but consumer
spending makes no sense.

No, it is entirely based on Inflation. However much Inflation is, that is the needed increase to keep those on SS "up to par" on income vs
expenses. So long as it follows the trend of Inflation the Gov can say "your spending it wrong, it's an equal increase"

Do you ever feel ythe government has no commen sense or do they just not care? I think I know the answer but I hate admittiing it.

Oh no no it makes perfect sense. Logically and fiscally.. though I would say it also crosses into "not caring" .. Let me elaborate by
explaining:

To me this makes no sense. Why would the cost of living adjustment not be based on the actual cost of living?

If we go by CPI the average increase from 1999-2009 was 2-3% a year.. this is the increase in actual obligations to Social Security. If we follow the
trends of Actual Inflation (hereby AI) then we would see a far greater increase.. from this ten year period it is roughly 6-10% per annual season.
Calculating all those "volatile" aspects of the economy, which makes up the vast majority of our expenses after Mortgages, it would in short:
Bankrupt the Government. Overnight, in fact.

The problem is exaggerated even more by another unexpected problem; high inflation of AI caused a depletion of consumerism, basically every dollar
spent at the pump or put into food on our tables was one less dollar spent at the store. The solution the consumer came up with was Charge it all ..
all the while our Wages were stagnate and even negative (in relation to Inflation) and every year was Negative in relation to AI. Even if we follow
CPI, wage growth did not keep up. So SS Tax Receipts were negative in relation to the outflow of money even based on the fixed CPI numbers. Takeing
that into effect and now that the credit bubble burst and we are in a Deflationary Spiral the CPI will be negative, thus no increases. And ontop of
that (keeps going) the burst in Credit = no profits off Consumerism = vastly lowered Tax Receipts overall .. Even if they wanted to increase SS due to
Unemployment and lower Corporate tax receipts any increase would have to come from Debt. Which we are already trying to sell record amounts
already.

So you can understand the problem with appropriately funding SS.. the budget short falls would be in the hundreds of billions to trillions of dollars
over short amounts of time.

But to simply STOP increases in SS payments is astounding, I never thought they would sink that low. This Government never ceases to amaze me. Just
please, don't think it's a fluke accident through irresponsibility. They will starve our grandparents and know precisely that they are, and
precisely why. Sick, no?

Here is the web site showing all the increases since 1975. It seems the year the economy is doing good the cola is higher. It is interesting that 1980
the cola was the highest. The 1980s are what I always remember as the golden years for me. My family did not struggle at all. My mom did not always
have to work. My dad worked for the police dept and my mom a subsitute teacher.
They made together no more than 35,000 a year. The current poverty level for a family of six is at 28,400. They made only 6,600 over the current
poverty level. 35,000 is more like the equivelant of 70,000 today.
They bought their house for $60,000 and when they sold it in 1984 it was worth almost double that.
Prices were low and I could afford candy, soda and small toys on my $10 allowance. That $10 lasted for 2 weeks.
Those were good years. I wander if those years will ever come back.
My point being is that it appears the cola is more based upon how well the economy is doing.
I guess it is Inflation that I need to be aware of. You said that inflation is not based upon my bills? That makes little sense since I would need
more money to afford things.
I remember in 1995 I found a small studio apartment for only $250 when I came back to that same studio it was $375 in 2006. It was $350 by 2000 and
all increases after occured ever year after 2001.
I would have to say the 1990s were pretty good as well. There were a few years in there that was harder but overall I would take the 80s or 90s over
what is going on now.
I have also noticed that prices have jumped up to what seems to be a decade worth of increase. It took 11 years for the studio to go from $250 to
$375. It took only a year for it to go up to $425 and now that current studio is $440. Just 2 years a go the average price for a market rate apartment
was $450. Now it is $550.

My point being is that it appears the cola is more based upon how well the economy is doing. I guess it is Inflation that I need to be aware of.

Usually when the economy is doing good we have a higher rate of inflation .. also as it happens, sometimes when we are in a recession like the 80's
we can have high inflation. During times of higher inflation we see an increase in pay outs. Inflation being an indicator of a healthy economy
(wealth expansion) almost certainly means an increase in SS Benefits.

Just a little trivia: The current Depression that we are in is the FIRST Deflationary Depression since 1929. We are in what is called a
"Deflationary Spiral" directly related to the disappearing Credit markets.. money that isn't really money vanishing reducing consumer purchasing
power.

You said that inflation is not based upon my bills? That makes little sense since I would need more money to afford things.

Core Inflation, or CPI, is not based on your "bills" .. it's based mostly on Consumer good prices. Houses, Food, Oil, Heating Gas, etc are not
considered in Inflation reports, AI is calculated in other Government stats the same way Unemployment is, in a tier system.

I remember in 1995 I found a small studio apartment for only $200 when I came back to that same studio it was $375 in 2006.

My apartment is just under $1,000 a month.

I would have to say the 1990s were pretty good as well. There were a few years in there that was harder but overall I would take the 80s or 90s over
what is going on now.

The 90's was a period of economic expansion, and the fastest wage growth since the 1960's .. people felt rich because their incomes grew faster than
perceived inflation .. it also helps that the Dollar was much stronger in the 90's. during the 00's people felt rich because their equity expanded
.. their real income didn't, but they still felt rich enough to max out their credit cards, and go under water via inflation resulting in an economic
calamity.

Now I am beggining to see how we got here. Just like 1920's everyone felt rich. Than the 1930s came and everyone was poor.
It seems before a depression there always a decade or two that sets up everything for the depression.
In the 1980s there were few poor or homeless now it is becoming more common place.
How do we get out of this cyle? Is that just the product of our economy.
I wander is there a better system out there?

Now I am beggining to see how we got here. Just like 1920's everyone felt rich. Than the 1930s came and everyone was poor.

Indeed, in the "Roaring 20's" there was a major credit expansion, which also happened to burst right as the decade ended leading into the Great
Depression.

Exactly what happened in 2009, only 2009 was actually a far larger "burst"

In the 1980s there were few poor or homeless now it is becoming more common place.

The 1980's was actually the 3rd largest recession/depression period.

How do we get out of this cyle? Is that just the product of our economy.

No, it's a natural part of Capitalism.. though, with the Federal Reserve system in place the Recessions and Depression are far less frequent, when we
do have a Depression or a Recession they are always far more severe. The Federal system is using the ideology of Perpetual Growth, which is
impossible for anyone and violate nature.

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